alone

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English

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Etymology

From Middle English allone, from earlier all oon (“alone”, literally “all one”), contracted from the Old English phrase eall ān (“entirely alone, solitary, single”), equivalent to al- (“all”) +‎ one. Cognate with Scots alane (“alone”), Saterland Frisian alleene (“alone”), West Frisian allinne (“alone”), Dutch alleen (“alone”), Low German alleen (“alone”), German allein (“alone”), Danish alene (“alone”), Swedish allena (“alone”). More at all and one. Regarding the different phonological development of alone and one, see the note in one.

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL. IPA(key): /əˈləʊn/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "GenAm" is not valid. See WT:LOL. IPA(key): /əˈloʊn/, enPR: ə-lōnʹ
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value "Hong Kong" is not valid. See WT:LOL. IPA(key): /ɐˈluŋ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (UK)(file)
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -əʊn
  • Hyphenation: a‧lone

Adjective

alone (comparative more alone, superlative most alone)

  1. By oneself, solitary.
    I can't ask for help because I am alone.
  2. Apart from, or exclusive of, others.
    Jones alone could do it.
    • (Can we date this quote by Richard Bentley and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      God, by whose alone power and conversation we all live, and move, and have our being.
  3. Considered separately.
    • Template:RQ:EHough PrqsPrc
      “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
    • 2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist‎[1], volume 407, number 8837, page 74:
      In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result.
  4. Without equal.
    • 2013 August 23, Ian Traynor, “Rise of Europe's new autocrats”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 11, page 1:
      Hungary's leader is not alone in eastern and southern Europe, where democratically elected populist strongmen increasingly dominate, deploying the power of the state and a battery of instruments of intimidation to crush dissent, demonise opposition, tame the media and tailor the system to their ends.
  5. (obsolete) Unique; rare; matchless.

Usage notes

  • Used after what it modifies.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

alone (not comparable)

  1. By oneself; apart from, or exclusive of, others; solo.
    Synonyms: by one's lonesome, lonelily, on one's lonesome, singlely, solitarily, solo; see also Thesaurus:solitarily
    She walked home alone.
  2. Without outside help.
    Synonyms: by oneself, by one's lonesome, on one's lonesome, singlehanded, singlehandedly; see also Thesaurus:by oneself
    The job was too hard for me to do alone.
  3. Exclusively.
    Synonyms: entirely, solely; see also Thesaurus:solely
    The responsibility is theirs alone.

Usage notes

  • Unlike most focusing adverbs, alone typically appears after a noun phrase.
    Only the teacher knew vs. The teacher alone knew

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams

Italian

Etymology

From Latin halo.

Noun

alone m (plural aloni)

  1. halo
  2. glow

Anagrams

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